I didn't know it snowed in Jordan! . . . and Medieval Killer Bunnies!!

 Gabby and I synchronized today and both of us looked up the forecast for our holiday at the same moment! Cold when we arrive, and SNOW the next day.  Cold but sunny the rest of the week . . .  Pretty long sleeved tops being put back on hangers and more warm woollies replacing them . . .

I will share my "sketching practice" with you.  Well, all I can say is perhaps I shan't be sketching architecture and castles when I get there.  Weeds more like, I can do plants.  Oh and horses.

Say no more!  It IS still a work in progress as the end heads are awful.  Middle one a tad less so!  Stick to horses Jen!

Hackney

Aquilegia

The cats know the best place to be of an evening.

I have done some more painting in the guest bedroom.  Two walls done bar for the very top and a bit of touching up. Now I'm started on the last wall (plank top one again) as the bit around the window is staying white. Reaching up high makes my shoulders ache and my neck arthritis start to think about complaining, so having a rest now (and from gardening) until I get back from holiday.

I managed a short - but cold - walk this afternoon.  I parked up by Rob's (2nd hand house clearance stuff) and walked up to St Matthew's Church at Llanelwedd.  It was locked again - should have taken a tip from Billy Blue Eyes and gone there when there is a service.  Still, a wander round the graveyard reading names and dates got me out of the house and in the mood to bother a few more churches in Powys* and beyond. 

I assume this may well be the original font, sat atop the base of a preaching cross? The tower is 14th C, so the font probably dates from that early period.  The church was restored in late Victorian times.

Name at top broken off, but he was a Wheelright and married to Ann.  Sadly their daughters died so young - Elizabeth aged 6 in 1801 and Mary, aged 1 yr & 9 mths, in the same year.  Yet others made it to their late 80s and 90s . . .

* At the top of my church bucket list is St Melangell's, a Grade 1 listed church which has been on this site some 1200 years.  It holds the shrine of St Melangell, patron saint of Hares and Rabbits. 

"Saint Melangell was a female saint of the 7th century. According to tradition she came here from Ireland and lived as a hermit in the valley. One day Brochwel, Prince of Powys, was hunting and pursued a hare which took refuge under Melangell’s cloak. The Prince’s hounds fled, and he was moved by her courage and sanctity. He gave her the valley as a place of sanctuary, and Melangell became Abbess of a small religious community. After her death her memory continued to be honoured, and Pennant Melangell has been a place of pilgrimage for many centuries. Melangell remains the patron saint of hares."  Taken from HERE.

She was mentioned in the talk I went to last Friday, and we were also shown some pictures of Medieval Killer Rabbits!!!  to show that the Huntsmen didn't always have it their way :)  Those did make us laugh.

Packed

 

Powis Castle - I must visit again this summer.

I chose what to wear on holiday today, ironed it, and packed it.  Turned out to be mostly my "best" clothes that rarely get worn. I'm getting there.  Still cold today but meant to be warming as the wind heads round to the South - instead of EAST!  

Here we had a little sunshine, and I forced myself out into the garden for an hour or so.  I began to clear the moss from the stone chippings of the yard, and the moss, weeds and grass from the cobbles.  I've not got very far yet - my back began to complain about all the bending double - but it's a start.   

I also went up on the bank and began to clear dried stalks, moss, grass and wild strawberries from there.  However much I clear the wild strawberries, they always return!

My new neighbour's friend returned today for the summer, and popped up to see me.  It was good to chat, and quite made my day.  He has been to Jordan, to the places we're going, and was very reassuring, bless him.  I've given him my spare house key in case he needs it. When I wasn't sleeping well, I always worried so much if I was away all day, just in case - perish the thought - there should ever be a fire.  Now I'm sleeping better it is less of a worry, but a relief to know if he needs access for safety measures, he's got a key.   He is going to come and feed the cats for me if I am ever away overnight (though I doubt the boys will come indoors, but he can at least leave them food).  I feel reassured that the cottages have occupants again as they have been empty for weeks and weeks - next door neighbour comes and goes according to work.

I've done a bit more of my family tree scroll - back to the 1750s apart from on my main family name line, where I cannot know for certain which of two William and Mary's are mine - one were more local, but I don't get a feel about them, and the others link back to Cheriton Bishop, which is where the next generation married from .. .

Chicken curry from the freezer tonight (and tomorrow night).  I cooked a double portion of rice so tomorrow night's meal is all set up.

Gosh, 7 p.m. already.  Better do the washing up!

Winter and technology can both "P" off . .. a boring post

 

I am fed up to the back teeth of cold, grey, miserable winter days, often accompanied by rain or worse, and too many bad storms to shake a stick at and as for the regular reports fromthe Daily Express warning me of 96 hours of snow, and all the main roads between us and the airport blocked, well they can "P" off too.  I just want to wake up tomorrow morning and find spring has arrived, though stepping into summer would be an even better improvement.  Apparently we are about to warm up, as that Scandinavian High Pressure is moving elsewhere.  Hopefully not anywhere near Jordan.

I have dedicated this afternoon to technology (this morning having been dedicated to grocery shopping so there is food in the freezer at least for Tam & Rosie at the weekend.)  I've done the recycling, and that has gone to the end of the lane early so I don't have to think about it in the morning.  I have blown the dust off my good camera, given it a quick sort out, having charged it for hours yesterday.  I stopped using it because it wouldn't download my photos. Today I started from scratch again, and had to learn how to programme the clock for starters.  I take a bow as normally I would hand it to one of my children, but have put my nose to the grindstone and told myself I just have to blardy get on with it.

Then I was trying to persuade it to load up some fresh photos but no, it was everything on the memory card or nothing . . .  Got THAT sorted (it was everything!) and then had a problem with my phone - I was trying to get rid of Meta AI  which had locked on to Messenger and wouldn't let me respond to posts on there!  Google had then decided it would take control  completely (which apparently it does do) and I couldn't even  switch the phone off.  Instead it went to the mike.  It refused to turn off.  I had to call in Tam then to find me advice online on how to fix it, and she did bless her.  So I followed the steps, and then it wouldn't turn on again.  I thought I'd killed it, as the exact instructions I was meant to follow couldn't be followed as the appropriate word didn't come up, so I used a close approximation.  It took ages to come back on but now I am in control again.  It's enough to drive me to booze!

One good thing, when I went to buy some decent pencils to take on holiday to sketch with, the ones I chose ended up being half the Sale price, instead of merely reduced.  6 good Winsor and Newton graphite pencils, in a tin, for £4.35.  I'd best have a practice with them tomorrow as it's a looooooooong time since I last drew anything.

Holidays

 Those were something we took regularly only when the children were smaller.  We didn't have much money, and stayed with family or friends.  When the money situation improved, we went camping, including up to Scotland (Aberdeenshire), and to Skye as well. Down to Dartmoor, down to friends in the New Forest. Mum was at home to look after the cats for us - with 9 of them, we couldn't just up sticks.

I've not done much travelling abroad.  A business trip to Belgium (can't believe I drove my car over there - the mini roundabouts - oh my goodness, I'd never seen them before and only passed my test the year before! Everything that Charlotte Bronte wrote about the Belgian people she met rang true . . . I've sailed in a friend's yacht to the Channel Islands and France, fishing for herring on the way.  Flown to Guernsey from Bournemouth - no sooner up than coming in to land! Tam took me to Florence (somewhere I had always wanted to go ever since seeing a version of Romeo and Juliet filmed there) about 9 years ago.  It was amazing and I would love to see a lot more of Italy.

When mum had died we didn't get much opportunity to get away.  Keith and I were going down to North Devon and then Dartmoor, called in to see our little Itsy pony who we had (foolishly) loaned to a forum friend down there.  I didn't like the way she was being starved (because she was "too fat" - no, she was Section C and they are built like tanks) and so we had one night down there before coming home, and used the holiday money to bring her back home.  Money was tight - and Itsy's care took priority.

Keith and I managed a few nights away down around the moor around 2018 I think it would have been.  Not long enough but it was lovely to visit our old haunts.  Then he became ill, and Covid came, and I've been nowhere since. I always wanted to travel abroad, but Keith wasn't keen - ok for him, as he'd travelled the world when he was in the Army . . .

So Jordan really IS the holiday of a lifetime.  I am slowly coming round to the idea it really IS going to happen. To me - who never thought I would go there in a million years.  The Isle of Man seemed about as exotic as it was likely to get . . .  I have a mental list now, of places I'd love to go, but with 4 cats, it would cost a fortune to have them in a cattery, and the boys would have to have jabs (the girls have them annually).  At least I can plan some more lengthy days out this spring and summer.

I hope it is sunny there - I need a bit of sunshine more than anything.  It has been grey and gloomy (and often wet) for so long.

Walking and gardening

 Danny visited today.  I took advantage of this fact and got him to plant the Cox's apple tree in the orchard.  I couldn't find the fold bar (with Tam?), had to borrow a spade from Chris (mine with Tam, along with my mattock) and we broke the rotten handle on the ancient mattock (probably pre WWII in vintage).  Ah well, the tree's in now and has a healthy covering of ancient muck heap, as do several more of the other fruit trees.  Just a couple more to do now.

Before he came, I went into town for my weekend paper, and got a card and gifts for Chris (birthday girl), and went round to hers with them.  Then I set to and pruned my Buddleias - one has died completely so will have to dig that out when I get the other mattock back. I pruned Jude the Obscure too, and hoiked up dead leaves of the Monbretias on the bank.  So it's a bit tidier, but my back is complaining now!

I've shucked some saved peas which were grown last year (Emma's) and will get those started in the greenhouse tomorrow.  That feels a positive step.

Dan and I had a walk too - just a couple of miles but at the speed he walks I almost had to jog-trot to keep up with him.  He did notice, and slowed down for me.  We saw one of the neighbours and I was able to ask how the funeral went yesterday (his aged m-in-law).  120 people there, in and outside our tiny church.  A good send off by anyone's standards.

I have had a couple of hours trying to count the blessed stitches for Peter Rabbit and have given myself a break from it.  Back to hand quilting this evening.

I nearly forgot - last night's talk was brilliant - exactly the topic to interest me (Celts to Christianity).  I was all fired up when I came home, and had managed to ask some intelligent questions.

I will reply to personals in the morning as tired now.

"I didn't want to think the cats might be eating you . . ."

 Well Marlene in Scotland, your tip about that Podcast seems to have worked a mini-miracle!  I slept so long last night I didn't wake up till 9.30!!! In fact, I was just making myself a cup of Earl Grey and my phone went - it was Tam, phoning to see if I was alright as I hadn't been on line/Messenger and she was worried I was dead.  In which case, the cats might after a few days, have to resort to eating me to stay alive!!!  Oh that did make me laugh!

I even have some energy this morning and despite the "2 deg - feels like - 6 deg!" on my computer weather check, I will take myself out for a walk.  Tam isn't coming for the weekend as she has come down with a nasty cold, so she is stuck at home saying "a picture" over and over as Rosie keeps pointing to the pictures on the walls (she was doing this last weekend and it sounded like she was saying "que?" like Manuel from Faulty Towers!) Rosie went to the child carer for the first time this week, a short taster session of 3 hours, and didn't cry when Tam left, was enjoying all the toys, and even slept! 

I have now been researching our itinerary for the holiday and will truly be walking in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia as we visit several Crusader Castles on our daily tours.  Now I am not so exhausted, a little excitement is starting to creep in. 

Danny is popping over tomorrow, which will be nice, and tonight I have a talk with the Heritage Society - Celtic to Christian by Dr Mike Williams.  Just up my street.  I will be wearing a mask though - daren't risk catching something nasty just before my holiday.

Walk on hold until I have found a couple of extra layers to wear as it is blardy perishing out there - they were right about it feeling like minus 6!

Where's my mojo gone?

 Gosh, I really DO need this holiday, as I have not a jot of energy.  Vacuumed round this morning and then had to rest before going to the Library, and looking for Rosie books for here in one of the charity shops.

Some books for Rosie, when she is here.  A good haul for just £3.

I slept better last night - many thanks to anon friend who posted about a podcast called Nothing Much Happens, which she said had helped her with her poor sleep.  Well, I have to say, I was very aware of my breathing slowing whilst I was listening - the woman's voice was very slow and soporific and it did seem to help. I only woke once (for the loo)  and then at around 6, my cat alarm clock went off!

 

I went to the Library too, and got these books (well the Brecon Gaols one was a renewal).  As I did the veg for my evening meal at breakfast time, I am now going to go and have yet another daytime nap . . ..